Stocking stretcher



NOV. 2, 1948. I w, ,BANN|STER 2,453,059

STOCKING STRETCHER Filed Jan. 25, 1947 I 5- V I INVEN'TORZ gas/m.

Patented Nov. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

s'rooKnvo STRETCHER Walter L. Bannister, Fort William, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Leonard W. Bennett, Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada Application January 25, 1947, Serial No. 724,417

This invention relates to hosiery stretching and form retaining means and has as one of its principal objects the provision of such a device which may be used to materially augment the drying process of same especially immediately after washing as well as keepin socks in their normal shape and size.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of such a practical device assimply and inexpensively as possible.

Another object is to provide such an instru Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig, 2 is an enlarged sectional view onthe line 2-2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the device with a stocking stretched thereon.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral I represents an elongated frame wire-like body portion, the bight or loop at one end being preferably materially shorter and narrower than that at the opposite end, particularly for the purpose of providing applicability of the device for like functioning in respect to diiferent sized hose.

The longitudinal axial center of the wire-like body portion is formed by the more rigid sustaining member or stay 2 which is in this instance of substantially elliptical shape in cross section as clearly seen inFig. 2.

Upon the face or uppermost side of this sustaining member 2 and freely slidably reciprocable thereon is the pawl-like darning ball 3. This ball 3 may be of any desired shape; however,

centrally of preferably its flatter side is carried the ball holdingmeans. This holding means includes the transversely elongated washer mem her 4 carried against the bottom portion of the ball and the opposed holding fingers 5-5 which project downwardly and inwardly from the washer to be engaged around the sustaining member 2. The fingers 55 are designed to be 4 Claims. (Cl. 223.75)

freely and loosely reciprocable on thestay-YZ and maybe locked at any desired point thereon by a slight axial twist, or in a tipped position under stress as when a stocking is being stretched thereonas shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

To accomplish the stretching of a stocking the most simple and effective manner, the same is drawn over and onto either end of the body portion and over the ball as well, and the ball is positioned neatly within the heel portion ofthe stocking. When this is accomplished, the toe end of the device is held away from the person manipulating same with the opposite end most conveniently held against such person with one hand, preferably holding thehose tightly against the stay 2 with the thumb closely engaged upon that portion of the hose just back of the heel and ball.

The hose covered ball is then engaged with the other hand, and with both hands thusly contacting the ball, it is slid upon the stay towards the operator, simultaneousl with tipping the toe end of the ball downwardly and the heel end upwardly until the desired stretch of the garment or hose is reached.

At this stage, the hand engaging the ball should be released first, then the thumb of the hand which held the stocking against the stay should be withdrawn from under the ball. The up-cooked or tipped position of the ball will be sustained indefinitely by the contractive stress of the stockingthereon which tends to pull the ball into further tipped position thereby putting a binding effect on the sustaining member 2 by the washer 4 and fingers ,5 tofirmly hold the ball in position on the sustaining member.

It may be here noted that this automatic holding or looking efiect of the garment is much more noticeable and augmented in the event of the garment having just previously beenwashed, this obviously being when such is most desired.

To release. the ball and thus the. stocking from its stretched position all that is required is a slight touch on the upwardly tipped endof the ball which will bring the ball into normal loosened position and allow same to again be freely reciprocable thereon, there no longer being any bind-. ing effect on the sustaining member by the fingers and washer.

which time the frame and stay act as a con venient support for handling same.

While I have here shown the holding member as comprising the elongated Washer 4 and the opposed fingers 55, it is deemed apparent that same could be formed integral with said ball 3 if of plastic or the like, or other suitable form to provide the necessary binding action under stress to hold the ball in fixed relation to the stay 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device for drying and stretching a stocking comprising: an elongated substantially oval shaped body portion, an axially disposed sustaining member fixed to said body portion longitudinally thereof, and a heel engaging ball slidably carried on said sustaining member and adapted to be frictionally held in place thereon by said stocking when it is stretched thereon.

2. In a dual purpose hose dryer and stretcher: an open elongated frame-like body portion, an axially disposed sustaining member fixed to said body portion longitudinally thereof, and a heel engaging stretching and holding member slidably supported upon said sustaining member, said stretching and holding member being adapted to be frictionally held in position on said sustaining member by a stocking when it is stretched intermediate o-f one of the ends of said body portion and said stretching and holding member.

* Number 3. A hose drying and shaping device comprising an open elongated frame-like body portion of larger elliptical shape at one end than the other to accommodate difierent sized hose, an axially disposed sustaining member fixed to said body portion longitudinally thereof, and a ball slidably carried by said sustaining member and being adapted to be frictionally held thereon by said hose when stretched on said device.

4. A device for drying and stretching a stocking comprising an elongated body portion, a sustaining member fixed to said body portion longitudinally thereof, and a ball-like member slidably installed on said sustaining member, said balllike member being adapted to be tilted under stress and held in said position by means of its connection to said sustaining member.

WALTER L. BANNI STER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith July 5, 1910 York Apr. 9; 1912 Hanson Jan. 31, 1922 Ladendorf et a1. Sept- 2, 1947 

